Integrated Sustainable
Development Programme
Concept Paper by REC and UNDP
1. Background
In
the recent years, the Tisa/Tisza river basin has come to the forefront of
international attention due to a sequence of major flood events and environmental
disasters with the Baia Mare cyanide spill leading the headlines. Tisa/Tisza
together with its tributaries drains the largest catchment area in the Carpathian
Mountains before flowing through the Eastern Pannonian Plain and joining the
Danube. The river and its catchment is shared by five countries: Hungary,
Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia. The countries and regions in the
Tisa/Tisza river basin share a common recent history of communist controlled
systems and the transition towards democracy and market economy in the last
decade. This history has left the river basin with a mixed legacy of pollution
hot spots, declining heavy industry, lack of economic development, emerging
pattern of regular flooding and fertile ground for social and ethnic tensions
on one hand, and with well preserved traditional rural landscapes, vast complexes
of natural forests and viable populations of species that are no longer present
in Western Europe on the other hand.
Following
the Baia Mare spill, the European Commission established the “Baia Mare Task
Force” in order to assess the reasons for the disaster and to recommend possible
future actions. Among others, the Task Force found that the response to the
cyanide spill was a positive example of cooperation among the countries and
that a regional integrated programme
for the sustainable development of the river basin was called for to create
jobs and future prosperity of those living in the river basin and to minimize
the risk of future similar accidents. At the same time, the water and environmental
authorities of the five countries strengthened their cooperation by signing
a Memorandum of Understanding. Several other initiatives have been taken contributing
to the objectives stated above, including:
o
International Convention
for the Protection of the Danube River and related activities,
o
Carpathian Euro Region,
o
Carpathian Programme
of the WWF,
o
Integrated Management
of Carpathian River Basins study prepared by UNEP and REC for the Ministry
of Environment Slovakia,
o
Rapid Risk Assessment
by WHO Euro and REC, sponsored by Italy
o
Integrated Rehabilitation
and Management of Tisza River Oxbows, GEF project proposed by Hungary,
o
An ongoing study,
conducted by REC Country Office Hungary, financed by the British Embassy:
An overview of the facts and consequences of the cyanide pollution and the
following floods, from technical, social and economic aspects. An effective emergency planning and action
framework and system is to be developed for the civil societies and the municipalities
along the Tisza river, to be able to respond and participate in possible future
incidents more quickly and efficiently.
o
Study on international
legal aspects of the Baia Mare accident conducted by the REC with support
of UK,
o
Inventory, Regulations
and Environmental Impact of Toxic Mining Wastes in Pre-Accession Countries
conducted by EU Joint Research Centre (Ispra)
o
Emergency grants
to NGOs and Local Governments just after the spill, managed by country offices
of Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia. Follow
up grants on local nature conservation and wetland protection projects.
These activities were conducted by REC Country Office Hungary with
the financial support of the Netherlands, UK, Japan and the USA.
A
number of donors and international organizations have expressed interest in
helping solve the environmental, social and environment problems along the
Tisa. Three of the five countries in the river basin are in the process of
accession to the European Union, which is presenting a major opportunity and
driving force for changing the development patterns in the region. The bordering
regions of the neighboring countries will also benefit from EU cross-border
cooperation programmes in the future. The Global Environment Facility has
recently opened the Operational Programme for Integrated Ecosystem Management
Projects, providing a comprehensive framework to manage natural systems across
sectors, and political or administrative boundaries in the context of sustainable
development.
2. Objectives
The
REC and UNDP/RBEC Regional Support Centre in Bratislava propose the development
of an Integrated Sustainable Development Programme for the Tisa/Tisza River
Basin with the following main objectives:
o
Securing prosperity
for the people living in the river basin,
o
Sustainable use of
natural resources,
o
Minimization of environmental
risks,
o
Preservation of natural
and cultural values,
o
Development of a
participatory framework for cooperation between countries, sectors, communities
and stakeholders in the river basin.
3. Scope
The
Programme should encompass the entire geographical area of the Tisa/Tisza
River Basin including the natural resources and ecosystems, the entire economy
and social groups. The relevant institutions and organizations in the five
countries already have information about the situation and ideas about future
development. In such situation the most appropriate method to develop a comprehensive
programme is to use the process approach, inviting all the relevant stakeholders
to provide their input, based on common understanding of the situation, problems
and options for the future. In line with this approach, the following core
elements of the Programme are suggested:
Public information about the
state of the river basin: Using a combination of satellite imagery and traditional monitoring
to provide a picture of the river basin that can be accessed by the public
on the Internet or through local or sectoral authorities and NGOs. A special
emphasis would be on the access to information through local media such as
newspapers and TV stations or through specific publications formatted for
broad public.
Consultation process involving national and local
authorities as well as NGOs and business sector to determine the needs, the
scope of the programme and to consult on the actions proposed within the Programme.
NGOs and local communities will receive support to actively participate in
this process.
Capacity building for local
and regional authorities for management of development programmes, environmental management and
good local governance, including public access to information and public participation.
Socio - economic analysis and
identification of development scenarios for key social-economic-geographic clusters.
First priority for analysis will be given to the ore extraction/metal processing
communities and the rural communities. Development scenarios will be developed
and compared by their benefits in terms of economy in quality of life as well
as by their environmental impact. Most promising economic activities (such
as low input farming, tourism, wood processing, renewable energy etc.) to
be actively promoted will be identified. Particular national and regional
policies providing the adequate framework (e.g. integrated permitting, codes
for investment, enforcement, economic instruments) for sustainable development
will be identified and recommended.
Assessment and coordination
of regional development plans and spatial plans in order to facilitate environmentally sustainable
economic development, minimization of environmental risks and preservation of natural and cultural values such as mountains,
forests, wetlands and traditional landscapes.
Identification of most cost
effective priority remedial actions necessary for minimization of environmental risks,
including the environmental hot spots and flood control. These may include
long-term management of old tailings deposits, reopening of certain wetlands
to periodic flooding and additional protection measures for threatened settlements.
Identification and cost effective
planning of key infrastructure (transport, communication, municipal services) required
to meet the objectives of the Programme in order to be submitted to the EU
Structural and Cohesion Funds.
At
the end of the development phase, the countries, regions, local communities,
businesses and NGOs in the region should have a clear vision about their future
development and the needed activities and investments. With such vision they
will be able to invest their own resources wisely and attract additional international
funding and investment from public sources (EU, GEF, IFIs) and private sector.
4. Next Steps
The
next steps to get this programme of the ground are as follows:
o
The idea should be
discussed by relevant actors and possibly supported at the Bucharest Danube
Carpathian Summit on April 30
o
UNDP/RBEC - RSC and
REC are ready to organize a planning workshop in summer 2001 where a more
detailed scope of the Programme would be developed and the applications for
possible initial donor grants would be finalized.
o
During 2001/2002
the detailed preparatory work would be conducted with the initial fundin to
develop the full project and to involve all the relevant actors.
o
During 2002/2004
the main Programme development phase would take place as described above and
as determined in the preparatory process.
o
In 2004 the implementation/investment
phase would begin based on the outcomes of the Programme.
This concept paper is based on a series of consultations between REC and UNDP. The ambition of this paper is to draw together various ideas and initiatives currently under way in the Tisa/Tisza River Basin. It is understood that a close connection between national activities and the proposed regional program is required. Any duplication of efforts should be avoided while the existing activities should be enhanced and built upon. Because of the above, comments, suggestions or additions to this paper are welcome and indeed requested. Futhermore it is the intention to take a process oriented, participatory approach during program development and to build broad partnership.
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